The Hifiman EF600 headphone amplifier also functions as a headphone stand thanks to its clever vertical setup.
The Hifiman EF600 is not only a headphone amplifier but also a DAC. For the latter functionality, three digital inputs are available: USB-C, USB-B, and S/PDIF coaxial. If you want to listen to an analog source, that’s not a problem either. In that case, you can use the dedicated RCA or XLR input. Additionally, it provides RCA and XLR outputs, along with headphone connections.
Ladder DAC
Of particular interest is the ‘ladder DAC’ (R2R) responsible for the digital-to-analog conversion. Hifiman took inspiration from the well-known Burr-Brown R2R-DAC PCM1704K, as mentioned in the EF600’s announcement. To ensure compatibility with Hifiman planar magnetic headphones, it offers a generous output power. Specifically, 1800mW through the 6.35mm front jack and 5100mW via the balanced headphone output. Last but not least, the EF600 is equipped with a Bluetooth module supporting codecs such as aptX, aptX-HD, AAC, LDAC, and SBC.
The price of the Hifiman EF600 is €1049.